Guide to Spring Classics Road Bike Racing

Driedaagse van De Panne (3 Days of De Panne)

7 / 11

Nickname: 3 Days of Pain

How to Say It: "drrree dahgsa von duh-ponna"

After the E3 and Ghent-Wevelgem, those procrastinators who still need to put the finishing touches on their form for the Tour of Flanders can head to the mid-week Three Days of De Panne to grab some last-minute kilometers. A race often marred by nervous crashes and bad weather, it’s also known by many as the “3 Days of Pain.” First organized in 1977, this three-day four-stage event offers a little something for everyone.

Tuesday’s Stage 1 gives one last opportunity for the Flanders hopefuls to test their legs on several of the bergs they’ll see Sunday. The most difficult day of the race, the overall winner usually comes from one of the first two groups to finish the stage. Stage 2 heads to the coast and almost always ends in a field sprint, making De Panne a popular choice for many of the riders who competed in the previous Sunday’s Ghent-Wevelgem—it even climbs over the Kemmelberg just for old time’s sake.

Thursday offers a split stage: The relatively short, flat Stage 3a gives sprinters one more chance for glory, while Stage 3b’s individual time trial is the final showdown for those still in contention for the race’s overall title. Garmin-Cervélo’s’s David Millar won De Panne last year after making the break on Stage 1 and winning the time trial on Stage 3b, his first stage race victory since 2001.